


Because isn't it obvious? At least, to anyone paying any attention?

by xtenn



Series: The Viscount Who Sure As Hell Didn't Deserve Kate [2]
Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Candy, Canon Rewrite, Friendship, Gossip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:26:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29030148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtenn/pseuds/xtenn
Summary: Eloise may be the smartest Bridgerton - but thankfully for Penelope, she's no detective.An additional short chapter from the perspective of these two ladies, set during the house party at Aubrey Hall, from The Viscount Who Loved Me.All credit and thanks to Ms Quinn for her amazing characters and stories.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield, Eloise Bridgerton & Penelope Featherington
Series: The Viscount Who Sure As Hell Didn't Deserve Kate [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129715
Comments: 11
Kudos: 76





	Because isn't it obvious? At least, to anyone paying any attention?

Eloise paced back and forth in her room at Aubrey Hall: her hands wildly gesturing, talking to herself. Pen knew better than to interrupt her friend's thoughts - eventually whatever it was that was bothering Eloise would be made clear enough. Meanwhile, it was rather pleasant to be sitting here, sharing a box of very delicious candied oranges, away from the busyness of the Bridgerton house party (and more particularly, away from her mother). The mist was rising from the landscape after last night's storm, and the sun was shining through. Pen congratulated themselves silently for having escaped the larger groups, and blissfully contemplated that maybe they should head outside for a turn later that afternoon.

"The thing is ..." Eloise began. "Anthony is hiding something, and it is something very big."

Penelope chuckled. "Don't tell me you suspect your brother as being Lady Whistledown!"

Eloise stopped pacing instantly, guffawing at the absurdity of that. "Could you imagine? The column would have been nothing but self-praise!"

"With a dash of warning for any gentleman who dares attempt to court his sisters, and endless censure of every mama in the ton!" The girls howled with laughter.

"Pen, if I am correct," Eloise continued, "then this is a scandal almost as shocking as Marina Thompson's child, and if Whistledown were to uncover it, Mother would quite certainly arrange for Anthony's funeral."

"Good lord, El - is it really so serious?"

"Anthony is involved with a lady," Eloise said, savouring every word and fully intending to shock - but definitely not impressing her friend.

"Oh come now, that's not so surprising. Naturally there's a lady involved with your brother. You do know that your brother is renowned for supporting any number of actresses and opera singers throughout the years, and he has made clear he intends to marry this very season. Isn't he actively courting the younger Miss Sheffield?"

"Yes, yes, I know his reputation," Eloise bitterly responded, lamenting internally the freedoms allowed to her brothers that would be forever denied to her. "And I know he dances with Edwina and sends her flowers and glares at any other young men who look her way. But that's what makes this so shocking. Listen, Pen - I think he's involved with a lady, and not just any lady ..."

Now it came time to voice her concerns out loud, Eloise hesitated. She had been so wrong about Whistledown - what if she was wrong here? Pen looked at her expectantly, and Eloise was encouraged - Pen was her closest and most trustworthy friend. Surely a rumour such as this would go no further than this room. If it were baseless, what would the harm be?

"I think he's involved with the other Miss Sheffield - Kate." 

Pen inhaled sharply. That was shocking indeed. "Oh El, be careful please - Kate is my friend, and as unfair as it would be, any impropriety would certainly fall most heavily on her."

"I know, Pen, but listen to what I know - then you tell me what you think." The girls got comfortable on the chaise, heads together, as Eloise whispered her tale.

"My suspicions were first aroused at the Bridgerton musicale. Do you remember? Now, I was near Mrs Sheffield in the ballroom, and she was looking for her daughter - Edwina was unwell and wasn't in attendance, so she must have been looking for Kate. Mrs Sheffield had been enquiring about her from everyone around for a number of minutes. Where was Kate? We had moved into the hallway - I think I wanted your opinion on my Whistledown investigation - and then Anthony came out of his study, looking cross as always. He rounded us up and made us go back into the ballroom, and was quite abrupt about it. Then, a few minutes later, Kate appeared in the ballroom again - but she entered the ballroom from the far door. Once she found her mother, she begged to go home immediately - I think she claimed to have had a headache. But that door she entered from? It just leads into the same hallway, where we had been, and that just leads back to Anthony's study - there's no powder room or refreshment stand or even a balcony to get some air, and we certainly didn't see her. So where was she, while her mother was looking for her? She must have been in Anthony's study. And where was Anthony? Also in his study. With her. Alone."

Pen did not look convinced, so Eloise paused briefly to pop a sweet into her mouth, and then continued.

"Now the next morning, Anthony shows up at the house - and Mother and Anthony had a silly little argument about the Sheffield ladies. She wanted him to visit Edwina. He refused. Isn't he meant to be courting this season's Incomparable? I had heard from Ben and Colin that he said he would marry her, and yet he's choosing not to attend on her." 

Pen looked increasingly skeptical, and Eloise tried to increase the pace of her delivery to not lose her audience.

"Even worse, Pen - Mother asked if Anthony would be sending flowers, and he also refused to do so. Why wouldn't he at least send flowers to the lovely Edwina? Instead, after he had stepped out, I heard Mother tell our butler to arrange the flowers - she even dictated the note."

At this Pen was visibly shocked. "Surely not, Eloise."

"I was surprised too - but you know Mother will go to any length to encourage our matches, so what is an extra bunch of flowers to the lady Anthony is supposed to be wooing? And the note said nothing extraordinary - merely wishing her well, and saying something like the musicale was dull indeed without Edwina. It is surely more shocking that Anthony did not visit or deliver the flowers himself. Indeed, I don't believe that Anthony has called on Edwina since that incident in the Serpentine - where, I'll note, he arrived with Kate and was chasing after Kate's dog."

"Eloise," Pen sighed. "So I'll accept that maybe Anthony's suit for Edwina is cooling - but that's hardly a surprise given his objections to marriage as a concept. It doesn't then follow that Anthony's attentions have moved elsewhere - and certainly not that there's any involvement, and certainly not with Kate! You know I told you of their dance at the Hartside Ball - I've never been so convinced of two people enjoying each other's company less."

"Yes yes you did, and I've also heard about that incident from Colin - who set up the entire meeting, deliberately to antagonise Anthony and to great effect."

"So what's your point, El?" 

"Oh Pen, the best is yet to come," Eloise added breathily. "I haven't told you yet about what happened last night in the library."

Pen picked out another candy, and did her best to pay attention once more.

"So, this morning at breakfast, the butler mentioned that two candlesticks were found in the library this morning. One that is usually housed in Anthony's study and the other, a standard one from a guest room."

"El," Penelope sighed, "those could belong to anyone, who may have left them there at any time."

"Well, I'm sure that candlestick was Kate's - now, Kate wasn't at breakfast, and when I asked Edwina where she was, do you remember her reply? Edwina mentioned that she was still abed. The words she used were "Kate often goes looking for a book if there's a thunderstorm, as they keep her awake." And Anthony also wasn't at breakfast, and there was Anthony's candlestick in the library as well!"

Penelope sighed again, and shook her head. It was all conjecture - nothing certain or confirmed at all. 

"And that's not even to mention yesterday afternoon in the garden," El continued, standing up again to pace. "You remember Colin mentioned that he had found them together? And Kate had a tulip - she wouldn't have picked that herself. Colin also mentioned that it was Kate and Anthony that packed up the Pall Mall set together, and headed back to the house - and you must remember how Mrs Sheffield was again asking everyone where Kate had gone, as it took her far too long to come back to the house after the game. Hold up, weren't you with Kate before supper?"

"Yes, El, we went down together, and she was ..." Penelope stopped, suddenly. Kate had been fine, hadn't she? Pen had been too caught in her own misery to have paid Kate much attention at the time.They'd talked about dresses and the colours thereof - nothing substantial. But Penelope knew exactly what nerves looked like, and the blush that had swept across Kate's neck and cheeks when she had glanced to where Anthony had stood by the fireplace could now be interpreted in an entirely different manner. Then there was the matter of Anthony's aside to Kate regarding bullies, his glance to Kate as he had swept Penelope away - why would he have felt the need to address her so directly, unless there was some connection there - some desire to show his best side? Penelope shook her head to clear her thoughts - admonishing herself for getting caught up in another of Eloise's flights of fancy. Anthony did need Kate's approval to marry Edwina, of course. And Eloise may think she was the smartest of the Bridgertons, but she was certainly no detective - their continued friendship was proof of that.

"So, Pen? What do you think?" El couldn't stand Pen's continued silence. "Is it possible that my brother is that much of a rake?"

"No, surely not - but please don't tell anyone else your thoughts on this," Pen warned gravely. "It may all be perfectly innocent, and even if there is no truth to this, the damage to Miss Sheffield would be irreparable - never mind your brother's reputation. Although as a viscount, he may do as he chooses."

Eloise threw her hands in the air. "I know! I know. It is so immensely unfair, and it is so frustrating to think that Anthony could be doing this, with no regard to her reputation or anyone else but his own desires and self interest!"

Penelope nodded along in complete agreement, then tipped her head to one side as if another thought had only just occurred to her. "But, tell me El - I mean, if it were true ... perhaps he would marry her? Do you think he would? What would you think, to have Kate Sheffield as a sister?"

Eloise stopped pacing to grin broadly, and Penelope knew she had asked the right question. "Oh Pen, I don't know her well, but everything I hear about her suggests that she would be wonderful for Anthony!"

And as Penelope listened to Eloise's raptures over the elder Miss Sheffield, Lady' Whistledown's next column began to take shape - Dear Gentle Reader ... 


End file.
